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During Combat Theatre participants create and perform six to eight new plays in 24 hours. Writers gather together on the Friday night before the performance at 7:30 pm and draw a location and a subject out of a hat, and the number of actors they need to write for, and then go away and write a ten to fifteen minute play overnight.

The writers return Saturday morning at 9:00 am with their completed scripts, along with all of the directors, writers, and tech staff, and the directors will then randomly draw which script they will direct, and randomly draw the actors that will perform the script. Then they block and memorize the show, find costumes and props they need, and have a 45 minute tech rehearsal to set light and sound cues.

There is a second rehearsal in the late afternoon with all of the shows running in the order they will perform, and then the performance that night. It is truly creating an evening of theatre in just 24 hours. Astounding!!!

When Is It?

And now we are bringing this incredible show to the WCT stage as a fundraiser for our theatre arts education program, the Academy at Civic Theatre. The show is this Saturday, August 26, at 7:30 pm.Tickets are $25, but the experience is priceless, and all proceeds go to an excellent cause. Don’t procrastinate … get your tickets now.

Why Do It?

I’ve had the pleasure of participating in Combat Theatre in downtown Milwaukee several times over the last few years, both as a director and as an actor, and it is truly one of the most amazing and unique theatrical experiences I’ve ever had. It is very challenging and rewarding. I am going to participate as a writer for the first time, and I’m TERRIFIED! I’m also EXHILARATED! I can’t wait, and I hope you can’t wait either.

On Friday, September 12th, the Waukesha Civic Theatre opened its run of The Sound of Music, the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Based on a true story, The Sound of Music opens in Austria just at the dawn of World War II, as young novitiate Maria becomes a governess for the stern and demanding Captain Von Trapp’s seven children. Through classic songs such as “Edelweiss,” “My Favorite Things,” and “Do-Re-Mi,” Maria brings music and joy to the lives of the Von Trapps.

But chances are, you already know all that. The Sound of Music is, after all, one of the most recognized and celebrated musicals of the twentieth century. What you may not know as much about are the talented young performers playing the Von Trapp children in WCT’s production.

John Cramer, the Managing Artistic Director of the Waukesha Civic Theatre, directs the production. “I love, love, love, love, love this show,” he says. When he was in eighth grade, John got the chance to play Kurt Von Trapp, an opportunity he fondly remembers as “truly one of my favorite theatrical memories out of the hundreds of shows I have been a part of. I am thrilled that I am now directing the show.”

The Kurt Von Trapp in this production is played by Jack Burns, a sixth grader at Longfellow Middle School. This is Jack’s first experience working with the Waukesha Civic Theatre, but he’s had plenty of stage experience and classes with First Stage. He is excited to see how everyone’s hard work is transformed on stage into a fantastic musical!

Another young Von Trapp, Sydney Johnson, is having a blast. Sydney plays Marta Von Trapp. Now a fourth grader at Christ the Lord Lutheran School in Brookfield, Sydney began her career at WCT playing Little Ti Mourne in Once On This Island. She is especially excited about all the fun songs in the play.

Gretl Von Trapp is played by Mara Hoffman. Mara is a sixth grader at Steffen Middle School in Mequon, and she’s been involved in the theatre since kindergarten. This is Mara’s first production with WCT, and she loves signing and acting and especially her performances with her von Trapp brothers and sisters.

Elena Cramer, a junior at Waukesha South High School, is sixteen going on seventeen as the eldest Von Trapp child, Leisel. In addition to her love of theatre, Elena has a special interest in music, art, and foreign language.

Elena’s real life brother, Jude Cramer, plays her fictional brother Freidrich Von Trapp. Last year, Jude lit up the Waukesha Civic Theatre stage as the Modern Major General in the Waukesha STEM Academy’s production of The Pirates of Penzance, Jr.

And rounding out the Von Trapp children is Brigitta, played by WCT veteran Elle Erato. Elle has been in many shows at WCT, and counts Oklahoma and last year’s The Goodbye Girl, in which she played Lucy McFadden, among her very favorites.

Now that you know a little more about the actors, come check out the Von Trapp Family Singers in The Sound of Music.

The show runs September 12th through the 28th. Tickets are $23 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $17 for subscribers. There are also special Pay What You Can performances on Saturday, Sept. 13th and Thursday, Sept. 25th at 7:30 p.m., as well as Saturday, Sept. 27th at 2:00 p.m. Pay What You Can tickets go on sale at the box office an hour before each performance.